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TR Replies

author=Stairmaster link=topic=32997.msg137284#msg137284 date=1418068215]
It's pretty annoying and they seem to be really inconsistent about how they go about opening the gates. However, I do understand they are understaffed and have no budget, but what I don't appreciate is the dick-weasel park ranger cruising the Paradise parking lot with his lights on and blasting his siren at 4:50 to rush people out of the lot. If they opened the gate at on time I...
Looks stellar up there.
Yeajhh,,,, my post isn't blank this time.
Loving the low altitude iron cross ~43 seconds in.
looks like fun! thanks for the road beta and nice photos
author=dkl link=topic=32997.msg137304#msg137304 date=1418083657]
Apparently the Rainier NPS has been reading this thread. They just tweeted this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVQmKB46MwY&feature=youtu.be


That's a really well-made video. Thanks for the link.

Also, thanks for the Paradise trip report and photos.
Thanks for sharing.  I almost got stuck about a month ago up there.  The road was super muddy near the FS cabin past Scatter.  Ate a couple other victims, but my Tacoma rallied through.

FWIW - We ski up there on the opposite side of the valley (Skeeter Creek) very frequently during winter, using snomos for the approach.  3,000'+ of NW facing vertical.  Plenty for everybody.  Bring a TAY gang.
Thanks ps44. I have just added few more pictures.
Good2Go - We parked our Jeep at Scatter Creek specifically. Careful if you head up there, we got stuck in a bad way a little further down the road the weekend before!
Apparently the Rainier NPS has been reading this thread. They just tweeted this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVQmKB46MwY&feature=youtu.be
That is a beautiful locale and it sure looks like winter's happening there!
Nice work bringing some snowy cheer to an otherwise tough start to the season.
Well, it finally happened - my post got swallowed by the forum software. I was trying to tell you I couldn't see those pictures because of what appears to be a permissions issue. But when I try to quote the error Google gives, this reply vanishes :)

EDIT: Figured it out. If I replace the slanted quotes Google uses in their error message, I can quote the error without issue :)


403. That's an error.

Your client does no...
author=Stairmaster link=topic=32997.msg137284#msg137284 date=1418068215]
... However, I do understand they are understaffed and have no budget, b..


They have a large budget (large enough? who knows, you can't find the details; but large enough for lots of free weekends).
Understaffed? Not really.  I talked to the plow drivers year before last and they said they could have the road open by 9 a.m., no matter what the...
Intriguing!  Were you able to drive up there or did you go in via snomo?
author=flowing alpy link=topic=32997.msg137278#msg137278 date=1418065151]
because they can and will open those gates when they're good and ready, i suppose.


It's pretty annoying and they seem to be really inconsistent about how they go about opening the gates. However, I do understand they are understaffed and have no budget, but what I don't appreciate is the dick-weasel park ranger cruising the Paradise parking lo...
FWIW you may check the NPS Twiiter feed  https://twitter.com/MountRainierNPS

It says that the gate opened at 9 on Sunday.  ON Saturday the gate opened at 20 after 12

But remember more it snows and the better the potential for awesome skiing, the higher the likelyhood  that gate opening will be delayed or canceled.
because they can and will open those gates when they're good and ready, i suppose.
This always baffles and frustrates me. I was down there on last weekend and it took them until 1030 to open the gate from Longmire. I understand they had to plow, but they were also closed all Saturday, but with no new snow why would it take them until 12 to open the gates?

Glad to see the OP got some nice turns in before the monsoon this week.
Found in parking lot: M XL Stormtracker glove, pm me if it's yours. I have it in Seattle.
The skiing was short but sweet. We climbed to 5900' on the southern flank of Cathedral Rock, and found good quality pow for a few laps.
Way to get after it early.  That is a sick area!
Our original goal was to bag Mt. Daniel, but the slog was long and our packs were heavy, and the traverse below Cathedral rock was sketchy. So we made camp, drank wine, slept in and skied!
What time did the gate open?  We drove down on Saturday morning in desperation only to be told they "hoped" to have the gate open by noon. 
And a little video:  https://vimeo.com/113891392  https://vimeo.com/113891519
Ball Butte, not Bald.  We parked the sled at the Wilderness Boundary at 7300', then skinned 800' to the top.  Great view to Bachelor and Broken Top.  Added info here, fearing an edit to the original post would erase everything.
Gotta love that down skinning. Good effort getting out and up!
author=flowing alpy link=topic=32974.msg137244#msg137244 date=1417983949]
crystal is closed


Yeah, I meant to hike. Not much around right now worth paying to ride.

crystal is closed
silas, uber is i p town now for your portering convenience. see if they'll carry you home.:-)
Depends on where your "worth it" threshold lies. If you have all day, head north: Crystal, etc.
If not, I mean it rode well enough while unfrozen & soggy. Can't say how it'll behave once everything sets up overnight. 
author=runningclouds link=topic=32962.msg137208#msg137208 date=1417907916]
Saddest ski picture ever ;) Thanks for the info.


Just wait til after this pinapple express rolls through this week :(. Snow God where are you?!!
Think tomorrow would be worth it, if the weather clears and warms?
Saddest ski picture ever ;) Thanks for the info.
Testing the website...
More of the good...


Good and bad...
It has a nice shell on it now
Beautiful pictures, as always.
I've been planning for years to get up on green whenever the road opens up.  Thanks for the post Kevin, I'm frequently led astray in when I interpolate conditions from Gold Hill and Lyman Lake gages...

JoshK, I guess you'll have to go somewhere not in a book already and not take any friends and not talk about it.  That way you can keep it to yourself!  ;)

I posted Painted Couloir years ago, and still have yet to hear another report.  The M...
Jeesh....it took me awhile to figure out that this topic used some damned euro date ordering.
;Dto hoar frost destruction imo
Thank you Charlie. This trail is not my favourite but this time there were ice wonders on and off trail all the way up.

Thank you natefred.

bwalt822: that is the 2 day detailed view from snow-forecast.com (subscription only). I am not an expert but it is my understanding the snow-forecast.com site uses the European world weather modelling data. When the NOAA and snow-forecast agree I have a higher confidence.

Im talking about the next slide, This one:
Forecast Pic

But looking at the comments of the picture I now see its snow forecast.  The OP must pay extra or have a trick to get the detailed forecast.
Nice pictures! That's a NOAA forecast bwalt.
Is that detail forecast from mountain-forecast.com or snow-forecast.com at the baker ski area?
The arch and trail photos are impressive. Thanks!
Luckily, they've been rock skis for awhile, however the fish scaling is coming along nicely!
Wow, a nice natural application of organic no-wax patterning on your new Nordica rock skis :-)
Nice report and pictures.

Not to worry about the surface hoar, it will get thoroughly rained on  :'(
Isn't a topo map pretty much someone else's trip report of terrain?
Nice report Kevin.
Good for you guys. I'm glad you found any snow to stand those poles in. Hope you did a snow dance up on the ridge.